Mason Jennings writes that the songs from 2023’s Underneath the Roses were “written in an unprecedented burst.” This followed the birth of his son, Western, in March 2022. Jennings explains, “I hadn’t written any songs in about a year. I had been dealing with the psychological after-effects of the pandemic as well as the loss of my dad. So, when Western was born, I didn’t expect to be writing much. But immediately he was responding to music in a very intense way. For this album, between May and November 2022, I wrote forty-eight songs! They certainly uplifted me and connected me with the creative spirit, and spirit in general, again. They cover all kinds of ground but, when I listen back, I think the central theme is overcoming fear with love.”

Jennings also released a video for “No Ordinary Friend,” which he explains “Depicts two of the most important decisions a person can make. One, whether or not they believe in a loving higher power and two, who they decide to choose as a lifelong romantic partner. This song is referring to both of those and the choices I’ve made.”

“Stone Gossard and Regan Hagar from Loosegroove Records helped me edit the forty-eight down to eleven. I then enlisted the help of my Painted Shield bandmates to record the songs.”

Jennings and Gossard are ongoing collaborators in the band Painted Shield, who released their debut album in 2021. Their album was also released on Loosegroove, the influential indie label that Gossard founded back in 1994.